9
CULTURE & HERITAGE
CELEBRATING THE HISTORY
OF EASTERN OREGON
John Day’s
‘Golden Flower’
is open — and
growing
Kam Wah Chung is awarded $1
million for new interpretive center
Cheryl Hoefl er
By Cheryl Hoefl er
Go! Magazine
J
OHN DAY — These are
golden days indeed for
one of John Day’s most valu-
able and historical treasures.
The doors are wide open at
Kam Wah Chung State Heri-
tage Site, welcoming visitors
once again after being closed
last season. And true to its
translation — “Golden Flower
of Prosperity” — this is also a
blooming time for Kam Wah
Chung.
Thanks to generous spend-
ing at the end of the 2021
Oregon legislative session,
the city of John Day recently
received $1 million toward
a long-anticipated new and
larger interpretive center for
the site.
Kam Wah Chung, part
of the Oregon State Parks
system, showcases the infl u-
ence of Chinese miners and
immigrants in the early days
of Grant County and East-
ern Oregon. The interpretive
center features a wealth of
informational displays, exhibits,
a gift shop and research space.
JULY 28�AUGUST 4, 2021
Nearby, on Ing Hay Way, is the
museum — the actual general
store where Chinese business-
men Ing “Doc” Hay and Lung
On ran a successful enterprise
from 1888-1948.
More than a store, however,
the building also provided such
services as a stage stop, medi-
cal clinic, religious center and
gathering place for the local
community. Chinese miners,
local residents and pioneers
traveling through the rural wilds
of the region all benefi ted from
this vital venture. The building
was also the private residence
for the business partners.
Visitors to the museum will
fi nd that it has been preserved,
with furniture, medicinal herbs,
dry goods, diaries, ledgers and
other documents — in Chinese
— nearly untouched. It’s as if
“Doc” Hay and Lung On just
stepped away for the day.
In fact, the building and its
contents were truly untouched
for many years. Following Hay’s
death in 1952, the abandoned
property was forgotten until
1967, when the city of John
Day launched plans for a new
park in that location. The city,
discovering their ownership of
the building along with Hay’s
wishes that it be turned into a
museum, began work toward
restoring and preserving this
treasure.
In 1973, Kam Wah Chung
made it to the National Register
of Historic Places, and in 2005,
it was declared a National His-
toric Landmark. Continued fun-
draising eff orts from politicians
and The Friends of Kam Wah
Chung have kept preservation
goals alive. Documentaries by
such media outlets as Oregon
Public Broadcasting and the
Discovery Channel have kept
the spotlight shining.
The interpretive center is
at 125 NW Canton St. in John
Day. The museum is across
the street on Ing Hay Way. The
interpretive center’s hours are
9 a.m.-5 p.m. daily. Museum
tours, both virtual and in-per-
son, are available on the hour
between 9 a.m. and 4 p.m. daily.
Appointments are encouraged,
since space is limited.
Admission is free to both.
Kam Wah Chung is open
through Oct. 31. For more in-
formation, call 541-575-2800.
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